There is never a legit reason for this kind of cover up. This should have been an obvious situation unless Te'o was more at fault. Notre Dame and Te'o were obviously trying to protect his image, his chances at the Heisman, and also avoid bad press during the championship. Notre Dame's investigation? Who is qualified there? Why would they need to do an investigation? Just apologize and inform the public not to send prayers and money to support her fund and to send the money to other leukemia funds instead.

Again, apologizing and thinking its ok is the reason for these abuses. Notre Dame makes money off of its football team and there were more concerned with their brand than letting people know. The naive people are the ones who think that Notre Dame would have ever released anything if the story didn't already break.

There is never a legit reason for this kind of cover up. This should have been an obvious situation unless Te'o was more at fault. Notre Dame and Te'o were obviously trying to protect his image, his chances at the Heisman, and also avoid bad press during the championship. Notre Dame's investigation? Who is qualified there? Why would they need to do an investigation? Just apologize and inform the public not to send prayers and money to support her fund and to send the money to other leukemia funds instead.

Again, apologizing and thinking its ok is the reason for these abuses. Notre Dame makes money off of its football team and there were more concerned with their brand than letting people know. The naive people are the ones who think that Notre Dame would have ever released anything if the story didn't already break.

Of course there was legit reason! That's what you're being blind to. If you don't want to see it, then I'm done here. You live in your little world of tunnel vision. Was it ethical? No. Does that matter? Not in the big picture of things. ND did what was best for them. Everyone does what's best for them in college football. The fact that this is being made the forefront of it all is undeserving. Where was the NCAA violation made? NO WHERE.

Did she have a fund set up that people sent money to? Or are you just making that up? If that happened, then the money should be sent back. Other leukemia funds can forget it. When you give to charity, it's because you intend to help the cause. Whether real or fake in this case, the cause still exists and can be used to help others.

The reason Notre Dame and Manti Te'o were treading carefully is because they didn't know the motive. They were concerned it could be someone trying to get the player or program in trouble with the NCAA, that it could be gamblers looking for leverage or just plain old blackmail of a guy who is about to become a millionaire. It's hard to fault anyone for taking their time and gathering the facts before saying anything publicly. Also, can you imagine the poop-storm it would have created if they announced this before the National Championship Game? Would that have been fair to Te'o, who was a victim? Would it have been fair to all of the other Notre Dame players who would have had to deal with it while trying to prepare for the biggest game of their lives?

The reason Notre Dame and Manti Te'o were treading carefully is because they didn't know the motive. They were concerned it could be someone trying to get the player or program in trouble with the NCAA, that it could be gamblers looking for leverage or just plain old blackmail of a guy who is about to become a millionaire. It's hard to fault anyone for taking their time and gathering the facts before saying anything publicly. Also, can you imagine the poop-storm it would have created if they announced this before the National Championship Game? Would that have been fair to Te'o, who was a victim? Would it have been fair to all of the other Notre Dame players who would have had to deal with it while trying to prepare for the biggest game of their lives?

The reason Notre Dame and Manti Te'o were treading carefully is because they didn't know the motive. They were concerned it could be someone trying to get the player or program in trouble with the NCAA, that it could be gamblers looking for leverage or just plain old blackmail of a guy who is about to become a millionaire. It's hard to fault anyone for taking their time and gathering the facts before saying anything publicly. Also, can you imagine the poop-storm it would have created if they announced this before the National Championship Game? Would that have been fair to Te'o, who was a victim? Would it have been fair to all of the other Notre Dame players who would have had to deal with it while trying to prepare for the biggest game of their lives?

...you guys are killing me. I'm going to have to say bs again. It was a full month after he knew and well over 2 weeks after the university knew. The only leverage and NCAA violation would have been Te'o not stepping up and reporting it sooner. Which, there isn't a violation against him not reporting it. Did he send her gifts? Or did he receive gifts from her? Even if they did, they were supposedly bf and gf...

The poop storm is their responsibility to take. Its the character of the university that is questioned. They should have 'man-up'd' and taken the bullying from the media as opposed to just caving to fear and taking the sympathy. Heck, his teammates could have rallied around Te'o. Instead, being a victim is something to be ashamed of and kept hidden. If they act right and with maturity, then the good people and good media will follow.

And the charity organization for her was set up in January. They had people on ESPN talking about it yesterday.

I fully understand the argument for protecting the kids during the biggest game of their lives. However, its just not necessary and is separate from continuing the lie. The media isn't on the field. Lennay wasn't going to tackle them. This wasn't handled properly and the only way for it to have been handled properly was to take the media hit by announcing it themselves, which they did not do. It had to be drug up by deadspin. There's a lack of class and deception here that is wrong.

*the real reason why the university didn't release anything was probably because Te'o was dumb and made comments after he knew

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser posted a story Friday saying Te’o's fictitious girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, called Te’o on Dec. 6 and told he she faked her death to evade drug dealers.

And we're officially off the rails.

Te’o and Kekua had been dating since 2011 when Kekua supposedly passed away in September after a short bout with leukemia. Te’o, heartbroken, used several media outlets to tell the story of his girlfriend and the inspiration she provided him, but said this week he did not know she did not exist. He did acknowledge that their relationship was online and on the phone and that he had never actually met Kekua in person.

So, imagine Te’o’s surprise when Kekua, who has been dead for nearly three months, calls Te’o and tells him her tale of woe.

According to the article, Kekua – or whoever the person is posing as Kekua – tried to start the relationship back up again, but Te’o was leery of it. He asked Kekua to send him a photo with a date stamp on it so he could verify that was really her. She sent him the photo, but it was not enough to convince him. In the following weeks, he went to his family and coaches and told them he had been the victim of a hoax that began in 2009.

If this happened in the SEC, this would be a non-story. Just like Cam Newton's. Zing!

Dude, I don't care, Jonathan Vilma probably paid money for cracking QBs. Other players admit that they've been part of similar programs, so even though we have gotten about 0 evidence, it's probably legit. We got punished for it when no one else did, even when there was evidence. Cool, happy? lol.

You clearly have a biased view of Te'O, since you're trying to change and deflect the topic and get someone else as mad as you are that everyone isn't buying the ********.

You're getting butt hurt because people are calling this like they see it. For someone who doesn't care, you're sure willing to give an enormous amount of benefit of the doubt.

Dude, I don't care, Jonathan Vilma probably paid money for cracking QBs. Other players admit that they've been part of similar programs, so even though we have gotten about 0 evidence, it's probably legit. We got punished for it when no one else did, even when there was evidence. Cool, happy? lol.

You clearly have a biased view of Te'O, since you're trying to change and deflect the topic and get someone else as mad as you are that everyone isn't buying the ********.

You're getting butt hurt because people are calling this like they see it. For someone who doesn't care, you're sure willing to give an enormous amount of benefit of the doubt.

I'm guilty of providing another point of view to the discussion. I find interest in that. Nothing more. When you called it homerism, that's when I thought I'd call the kettle black. Deflection... eh.. side result I guess. Butt hurt? No. I find it interesting that my side is bias but your side isn't. I thought it was the opposite going on when you guys are only choosing to see what you want to see.

The reason Notre Dame and Manti Te'o were treading carefully is because they didn't know the motive. They were concerned it could be someone trying to get the player or program in trouble with the NCAA, that it could be gamblers looking for leverage or just plain old blackmail of a guy who is about to become a millionaire. It's hard to fault anyone for taking their time and gathering the facts before saying anything publicly. Also, can you imagine the poop-storm it would have created if they announced this before the National Championship Game? Would that have been fair to Te'o, who was a victim? Would it have been fair to all of the other Notre Dame players who would have had to deal with it while trying to prepare for the biggest game of their lives?

What possible violations would associated with this? Notre Dame claims to be aware of everything that happened outside of the actual perpetrators and the motive, they would clearly be able to see that no violation was possible. There's nothing remotely in the NCAA rulebook against a player having an online relationship, there's absolutely no ground for Notre Dame claiming it wasn't sure.

Neither of those reasons are valid excuses to not come forward. The only excuse would have been nothing more than image preservation, at the expense of continually perpetrating a lie that would benefit both Notre Dame and Te'o.